Chocolate-Espresso Morning Buzz Granola

Give your granola a buzz with chopped, chocolate-covered espresso beans, just the bitter note needed to balance sweet crunchy clumps of granola. Play up the espresso theme by gifting the granola in decorated brown paper bags or coffee bags, customized with your own label. If you prefer your granola without caffeine, adjust the brown sugar to taste--reduce by a tablespoon or two--before baking.

Directions

3. Mix the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a large pot and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the mixture bubbles around the edges. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the oat mixture to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon until all the nuts and grains are well coated.

4. Spread the mixture evenly onto 2 large baking sheets, leaving a few clumps here and there with spaces between them. Bake until the top of the granola is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove and break up the pieces slightly. Return the pans to the oven, rotating their positions on the racks for even cooking, and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Break up the pieces again, rotate the pans once more, and continue baking until the granola is golden brown and dry, about 10 minutes more.

5. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate espresso beans over the top and stir together on the baking sheets. Cool the pans completely on a rack before packaging. Alternatively, store in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.